The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Saturday

Apr 30, 2011 at 12:01 AMApr 30, 2011 at 7:09 PM

A weekly compilation of editorial observations and commentary based on the news of the past week from the Mohawk Valley and surrounding area.

Good: We don’t always appreciate them until there’s trouble, but the region’s emergency responders — paid and volunteers — should be commended for their efforts this week as wacky weather made life miserable – and scary – for people throughout the region. Tuesday’s severe storms, including a tornado that touched down in Rome, followed by Thursday’s downpour, flash flooding and another tornado in Frankfort, wreaked havoc for Central New Yorkers. Many of those who helped, whether Department of Public Works employees, law enforcement officials, volunteer firefighters or otherwise, stepped up to clear debris, re-route traffic, pump basements and otherwise deal with an extremely troubling and dangerous situation. Volunteer or not, these civic servants deserve a pat on the back for their efforts. Thank them. Our communities are in good hands.

Bad: The state’s dairy industry is being milked, and about 80 people attended a forum Wednesday at Herkimer County Community College to call for reforms. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Marketing and Agriculture, was in attendance, and now needs to deliver the message to Congress and encourage action. Gillibrand is pushing for expanded loan programs and tax breaks for dairy farmers until a competitive pricing system is enacted. There is no time to waste. West Winfield farmer David Fitch said that if reform doesn’t come soon, “there’s no way we’ll survive the summer.”

Good: The Stevens-Swan Humane Society once again lived up to its name by renovating cat rooms in its Deerfield facility that allow the animals to roam freely instead of being caged. The two open-air environment cat rooms were built with the help of Sal Longo, CEO of Northern Safety in Utica. Prospective adopters now can view the cats in a more natural setting, as the rooms provide toys, beds, food and litter boxes. Shelves for the cats to climb on also line the walls of the rooms. The next step: Emptying the new rooms through adoptions. The cost for adopting a cat is $70, which includes the price to spay or neuter the animal as well as a Science Diet starter kit, said Jerry Kraus, humane society director of public relations, marketing and development. If you’re considering getting a pet, the humane society is the way to go.

Bad: The proliferation of methamphetamine labs throughout the state — and the Mohawk Valley — has law enforcement officials concerned. State police have busted nine meth labs across New York so far this year, and about half of them have been discovered in Oneida County alone. Laws were passed in 2005 restricting over-the-counter sales of certain drugs used to cook the meth, but people hell-bent on producing the junk have found ways around the restrictions. What can you do? Be aware of unusual activity in neighborhoods or in rural areas — comings and goings — and report suspicious activity to police. Methamphetamine is not only a highly addictive drug, but the manufacturing process is extremely dangerous — it’s highly explosive — and a mishap could be disastrous not only for processors but for many innocent neighbors.